The Will of Joel Viles (1743-1817)

Joel Viles, b. 17 Dec 1743 Waltham, Middlesex, Massachusetts, was the son of John Viles and Susanna Bemis.  He married Mary Bowman on 27 June 1775 at Lexington, Middlesex., Massachusetts.  He died on 5 Jan 1817 at Lexington.

As part of Amanuensis Monday, here is my transcript of the last Will and Testament of Joel Viles.
(Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) Case 23354: Pages 3-5)



In the Name of God amen I Joel Viles of Lexington in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts Yeoman, considering the uncertainty of this mortal life and being of sound disposing mind and memory, blessed be almighty god for the same, yet calling to mind my own mortality and knowing that it is Appointed for man once to die do at the date hereof make and ordain this instrument to be my last will and testament, but principally and first of all I commend my soul into the hand of god who gave it, and as to my body I desire to be buried in a decent and christianlike manner by my Executor hereafter named, and as to such worldly estate and temporal interest as it hath [leased god to give me I give and dispose of the same in the following manner viz.

Item 1st. I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Mary Viles the use and improvement of one half of all my dwelling house during her life time with liberty of [illegible] round said dwelling house, and to the well and [illegible] the same, and the door yard, to use the out building as she may have occasion. I also give her the use and improvement of all my household furniture during her life time (Except the Clock). I also give her a right to sit in my pew during her life time. I also give her my chaise for her own use.  I also give her the sum of two hundred Dollors for her own it being one half of the money that my son John Viles owes me and to be paid her immediately after my death, and I order my son Elias Viles to bring into her yearly and every year during her life time one third part of all the produce that shall be raised on my farm and to bring it in in season and to find he fire wood for one first and cut the same fit for burning, and also to find her a horse when she wants to ride out, and to pay for her doctoring if required, and at her death to give her a decent burial.

Item 2. I give and bequeath unto my son William Viles two hundred Dollors out of the notes that he owes me and the remainder of what shall be owing from him to be at my death if it can be collected I order to be equally divided between Bowman Viles, John Viles, Elias Viles, Nathan Viles & Joel Viles as soon as my Executor can collect the some after my death.

Item 3rd. I give and bequeath unto my son Bowman Viles two hundred Dollors and to be paid him in one year from my death.

Item 4th. I give and bequeath unto my son John Viles two hundred Dollors and to be paid him in one year from my death.

Item 5th. I give and bequeath unto my son Nathan Viles two hundred Dollors and to be paid him in one year from my death.

Item 6th. I give and bequeath unto my son Joel Viles two hundred Dollors and to be paid him in one year from my death.

Item 7th. I give and bequeath unto my daughters viz. Mary Simond, Susanna Colburn, Hannah Teal & Lucy Viles all my household furniture (Except my Clock) and to be equally divided between them or their heirs at the death of my wife who is to have the use of the same during her life time. I also give unto said Mary Simond, one Dollor and to be paid her in one year from my death.  I also give unto Susanna Colburn & Hannah Seal the sum of one Dollor each and to be paid them in one year from my death. I also give and bequeath unto Lucy Viles the sum of Two hundred Dollors it being one half of the money that my son John Viles owes me and to be paid her immediately after my death.

Item 8th. It is my will that my children living in Lexington have a right to sit in my pew. It is also my will that my son Elias Viles should not dispose of the Clock nor remove the same out of the house so long as my wife should live.

Item 9th. It is my will that after all my just debts & the above named legacies and funeral charges are paid by my Executor hereafter named that all my real estate together with my personal estate good * chattle of what name or nature not otherwise disposed of I give and devise unto my son Elias Viles to hold to him his heirs and assigns forever, and lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my son Elias Viles sole Executor of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this thirtieth day of December in the year of our Lord one Thousand Eight hundred & Sixteen

    Joel Viles

Signed Sealed published and declared by the above named Joel Viles to he his last will and testament in the presence of us who at his request and in his presence have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses to the same.

    Jacob Smith

    Samuel Chunellen????

    Nathan Chandler

52 Ancestors Friday

I picked up this idea from Randy Seaver and his blog, Geneamusings (www.Geneamusings.com). He said that he got the idea from Amy Johnson Crow, who suggested it as a weekly blog theme.

Sounds good to me!

Randy said: “Doing this should help me add content and standardize content in my genealogy database….”  I agree.  I don’t use the same database program as Randy, but I can see the benefit of looking at what I have done before, updating it with information that is now available online, and cleaning up and adding citations.  If I can figure out how, I will create an Ancestor Biographies Page for this blog and add each of them to that page.  I also seem to get lots of questions from nieces, nephews, etc., so these pages will make it easier for others to find the information, and I won’t have to dig it out anew every time.

So, where should I start?  I decided to start with my grandparents, and do them in ancestor name list order.  I only knew one grandparent, so I will be learning new things about them in the process.  Next Friday will be my first Ancestor Friday.

Viles Name Study - Will of Nathan Viles (1739 - 1788)

Nathan Viles, b. 30 Dec 1739 Waltham, Middlesex, Massachusetts, was the son of John Viles and Susanna Bemis.  He married late in life to widow, Mrs. Sarah Hagar, on 14 Oct 1784 at Concord, Middlesex., Massachusetts.  He died in March 1788 at Waltham.

As part of Amanuensis Monday (OK, I'm late, It is Tuesday), here is my transcript of the last Will and Testament of Nathan Viles.(Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)  Middlesex Case 23360)

Nathan made his Will on 10 Feb 1788.  In it, he provided as follows:

 

"In the Name of God Amen

"I Nathan Viles of Waltham in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts of sound Mind and Memory Thanks to God therefor but weak and infirm in Body do make and ordain and constitute this my last Will and Testament in Manner and Form following first I commend my Soul to God who gave it me, my Body I commit to the Dust to be buried in a christian decent Manner at the Discretion of my Ex’er here after mentioned and as for the wordly Estate where with God has blessed me in this World I will and dispose thereof as follows viz.

"Imprimis. My Will is that my Executor hereafter mentioned pay the several sums hereafter mentiond in Manner following viz to my beloved Brother John Viles one Hundred and ten Pounds in one year after my Decease[.] to my beloved Brother Joel Viles one Hundred Pounds in eighteen months after my Decease. To my beloved Sisters Abigail Barnard Wife of Jonas Barnard, Susanna Call, Dinah Watson Wife of John Watson, Kezia Walton Wife of John Walton, Lydia Wilson Wife of David Wilson and to Lizze Mead Wife of Moses Mead thirty Pounds each in two years and an half after my Decease. To the Children of my beloved sister Sarah Dise deceasd collectively Thirty Pounds in two years and an half after my Decease. To my good and kind Friend Mrs Elizabeth Stone nine Pounds to Esther Perry six Pounds.

"Item. I will and bequeath to Jonathan and Sarah Hager all the cloths of their Mother and my late beloved Wife as likewise all the household furniture she was possessd of at the time of our Marriage as likewise two Promissory [promissory inserted at left] Notes of Hand one subscribed by Benjn Hager the other by Amos Harrington. And that no Charge of be brought against them on any amount whatever but that the Rent of an House belonging to them that I have received be considered sufficient therefor.

"Item. My Will is that my Executor pay and discharge all my just Debts and funeral Charges

[Page 2]

"Item. All the rest and Residue of my Estate wherever situate and lying of whatever Determination I will and bequeath to my beloved Brother Jonas Viles who I constitute sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament he paying as before ordered

"In witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal this tenth Day of February in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven Hundred and Eighty-eight.

Nathan

His X Mark

Viles

"Signed, sealed and pronounced by the said Nathan Viles as his last Will and Testament in Presence of us who at his Request and his his Presence and in Presence of one another have subscribed our Names as Witnesses hereto

"The Word each interlind before signing and sealing

John Sanderson

Elijah Smith

Leonard Williams"

Viles Name Study - 1850 US Census

After working for a week, I finally got all 264 Viles name entries on the 1850 US Census into a spreadsheet.  As I had thought, I did get distracted, and at times I was bored and had to break off to do something else, but I got it done. Knowing that I had assigned a high priority to this task made me keep working.

The hardest part was designing the spreadsheet.  I tried to include columns in the design for information that isn't on that Census.  The reason was that I may want to be able to combine different spreadsheets.  I won't know if that will be helpful until I start to analyze the information.

Most importantly, I did include both a reference number column that will be specific to the 1850 US Census, and a column for the WikiTree ID. I hope that will allow me to combine information for the same person from different spreadsheets.

Viles Name Study - Progress and Spreadsheets

I feel good today.  We had a great day out being committee boat for our local sailing club, so it is hard to get back to working on my genealogy project.

Then, I created a couple of spreadsheets for the Viles family.  I created a spreadsheet for the 1850 US Census and got about 1/4 of the Viles entered onto the spreadsheet.  I need to think carefully when I set up a spreadsheet to make sure that I am capturing everything and also making the spreadsheets compatible with each other.

Although my Research Plan sets out what I SHOULD be doing, I got sidetracked and didn't complete the 1850 data collection. I decided to see what Missouri and Washington had online.  I created another spreadsheet for Viles who died in Missouri between 1910 and 1965 and another for Viles who died in Washington between 1907 and 2000. So, I have my work cut out for me.  First, I need to complete the 1850 US Census data collection, then it will be time to start adding the info to WikiTree.

Viles Name Study - Initial Research Methods

Research Methods

Questions:

1. Should I Use a Separate Database?

: Advantages:
:: Setting up a data collection system that will make it easier to draw conclusions.
::: I don't think that I can export info from WikiTree to use for statistical purposes.
:: If I decide later to expand the project, I won't have to go back and dig out the data.
:: If someone else is interested in the project or if I have to pass the project on to someone else, it will be easier.
: Disadvantages:
:: Setting up a database will be time-consuming.
:: Psychologically, I might get bored with the whole thing.
:: Inputting data twice, once into a database and once into WikiTree, will be time-consuming.

Conclusion:
A database of Viles should be established.  The reference number could be the WikiTree profile number, which would make it easier to keep track.  Also, it would mean that the same reference number would be used if another database page is set up for a different Census or data source.

2. Where Should I Start?

Should I start with the 1850 or the 1880 US Census or with some other data source?
: Given that I want to start the project by capturing the New England Viles, it would probably be best to start in New England.
: Most Massachusetts towns have published vital records to 1850.
:: As I think the initial Viles families came to Boston and Watertown and expanded from there to Waltham and that vicinity, starting with the earliest information for Boston, Charlestown and Waltham would be on point.  Vital records for those places should be entered into the database and into WikiTree.
:: Vital record data collection could later be expanded to other Massachusetts towns and then Maine.
: There are about 300 entries for the specific name Viles on the 1850 US Census.  This is manageable.
:: A database sheet should probably be set up for the 1850 census, just to track the people as profiles are created on WikiTree.


Conclusion:
I will start with a three-pronged approach:
: Find all Viles in Boston, Watertown and Waltham prior to 1750 and enter the information into WikiTree and a database.
: Enter all Viles mentioned in the 1850 US Census into the database and into WikiTree.
: Tie these Viles together in families, if possible.

Viles Name Study - Research Goals Discussion

Research Goals Discussion

What Do I Want to Know?

My questions are:

When did the first Viles come to the United States?
: I think the first Viles showed up in Massachusetts about 1635, so the place to start might be there and the Viles families in Massachusetts were clustered around Waltham, so that might be a more specific location, but I think they started in the Boston or Watertown area.
: Also, there were only 4 Viles families on the 1790 US Census, so that would be another place to start.

Where did the first Viles in the US come from?
: It is possible that I won't be able to find out anything about where the initial Viles came from through US records.
: I may have to try to back-track in England to make a good guess as to the origins of the family.

Where did the Viles in the Southern United States come from, and when?
: It appears that the Viles in Georgia and North Carolina arrived later than those in New England, but branches moved West from both New England and the South.  
: As I find Viles, I will try trace them back as far as I can, regardless of the family's original start in the US.

When did Viles emigrate (from England) to other countries? And, were they from the same original location? 
: Well, those are interesting questions, but my interest, at least for the moment, is in the United States, so I think I will concentrate there.

Do I want to build families or gather information?
: I like building families and tying people together, and I know I will do it anyway, so I might as well make that one of the tasks for the Study.

Research Goals

1. Determine the origins of the Viles in New England.
: In order to accomplish my primary goal, I should concentrate on New England before 1750.  For the moment, until I know more, I am not going to spend much time on the Southern Viles or on Viles in other countries.
2. Put together the families that spread from the original New England settlers.
: My secondary goal will follow as I continue to connect Viles profiles in WikiTree or expand my research.

Viles Name Study - Introduction

This is my first entry in my Viles Name Study blog.  I started the One Name Study a few months ago, but I haven't made much systematic progress. I seem to take off on tangents, without much focus.  If it has something to do with the Viles surname, I do it.  I need to plan my study.

What I Know

Most Viles are Caucasian.  I know of a number of similar names that may. or may not, be related: Viels, Viles, Vials, Vilas.

USA

There seems to have been at least two influxes of Viles in the USA, one to Massachusetts and the other in the South, probably Georgia.  My initial research about Viles in the USA shows that, in 1790, there were only 4 Viles families recorded on the 1790 US Census. In 1840, the Viles name was seen mostly in Massachusetts, Maine, Indiana and Illinois, with smaller concentrations in New York, Michigan, New Jersey, Georgia and Tennessee.

There was a spike in immigration of Viles in the middle 1850s and a small spike in about 1890.  There were 56 Viles who served in the US Civil War, mostly on the Union side.

By 1880, Missouri was ahead of both Indiana and Illinois, and in 1920, Viles were mainly in Massachusetts, Maine, Tennessee and Missouri.

England
In 1891, 21% of the Viles in England lived in London.  Others were concentrated in Essex, Somerset, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Yorkshire, Worcestershire and Glamorgan (Wales).

Australia and New Zealand
There are also a lot of Viles in New Zealand, mainly in the Manawatu-Wanganui.  In Australia, they are mostly in New South Wales, Queensland and Northern Australia.

How I Have Been Working So Far

I started by adopting the orphaned Viles profiles on WikiTree.  I already was manager of many of the Viles profiles through my own research.  I have been going through the profiles one at a time.  I try to complete the following steps for each one:

1. add correct birth and death dates
2. add birth place and assign each profile to a state and, if possible, to a county
3. add burial place and a picture of the gravestone, if possible
4. attach each person to parents

I have also started working on veterans.  I find American veterans by using the National Gravesite locator.  I also use lists of an veterans on FamilySearch, Ancestry.  For Viles from other places, I use the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and military records on FamilySearch, Ancestry, and FindMyPast.

1. establish profiles for veterans, starting with earlier wars.
2. follow steps 1-4 above 

I have also been establishing new profiles for people I discover from obituaries.

In other words, my research is all over the board, with no goals and no focus.  I need to change my methods, as I cannot tell when I have completed a task.  I also cannot draw any conclusions from what I am doing.


Tomorrow I will try to draft a One Name Study Plan.

Climbing Kilimanjaro - February 2016

Climbing Kilimanjaro - February 2016

February 11 - Arrival in Tanzania
Arrived late last night. The plane arrived 5 minutes early after a very long trip from Seattle to Amsterdam, changed planes, then on to Kilimanjaro.  Too many meals.  The trip through Immigration took at least an hour, going from line to line.  Finally on to the lobby where the One Seed Expeditions greeter met me, and we drove to the Honey Badger Lodge.  Rained on the way here.  Met with fruit juice and a smile.  Others to come in later. We will be 10 climbers, 6 women & 4 men.  Got to the room about 11:30.

 

By the way, the name of the country is pronounced "Tan-zah-nia" with the accent on the second syllable, zah.

February 12 - First Day in Tanzania

Slept well wrapped in mosquito netting. Lodge is somewhat primitive but with everything you need, including a swimming pool, which we didn't have time to enjoy.

Monkeys in the trees, small turtles in an enclosure, and the sound of water bubbling in the pool.  The lodge is in Moshi, but we aren't within walking distance of anything, so I'm just relaxing. There are 3 million in the area which includes Moshi and Arusha. Moshi is 135,000.


Went to a coffee farm today. Walked to a waterfall on the way, but we had a 45 minute thunder storm. I mean solid thunder for 45 minutes. The skies opened and it poured. Stopped raining after lunch on way to coffee farm. The waterfall we saw was spectacular.

Coffee and tourism are essentially the only industries in Tanzania. Saw demonstration of coffee processing then tasted the coffee we roasted and ground. Strong but very smooth. Following the coffee from raw bean to a cup of coffee in my hand was very educational, and the coffee tasted great. I discovered that singing is a very important part of daily life, and there is even a call and response song for grinding coffee.

Stopped at the currency exchange and the ATM on the way back and found the exchange rate for big US money (50s and 100s) is better than for small bills, (not unexpected) and both are better than the ATM. Then back to the Lodge. Most have arrived but a couple of people arrive late tonight.

Finishing the Welcome Dinner. 5 men, 5 women, plus a One Seed representative. A couple of guys are probably in their late 50s.



It was a good day. Off early tomorrow for the climb!

February 13 - Day 1 on the Mountain

After a good breakfast at the Honey Badger Lodge, we drove about an hour to the park entrance at Marangu, where we waited at the Welcome shed for another 1-1/2 hrs while we were registered and our bags were weighed.

Porters are limited in the # of lbs they can carry, and it it is strictly adhered to. There are also park regulations for the number of guides, cooks and extras, and it adds up to the Tazanian Full Employment Act.

The first half of the day was through the forest zone, with the canopy covering the trail most of the time. The porters use a road that is the old trail and emergency access. It is good to separate the traffic at least at the beginning. Our trail is either gravel with water bars or rocks and roots with drainage channels down the side. It is easier to walk in the drainage ditches than on the rocks. Hiking in a T-shirt and shorts, with a floppy hat. It was a warm day and the sweat was flowing freely.


We carried our lunch to the halfway point. Roast chicken, banana, cheese sandwich, some sort of cupcake and pineapple juice. Good rest.


Back on the trail again. Same landscape. The guides rotate in front, middle and end. We get to walk near all of them. Although there are some stronger hikers, we seem to rotate too. We arrived at Mandara Hut after a total of about 5 hours. We gained about 3000 feet after starting at 6000, so the first night is at 9000 ft. I started taking diamox to help with altitude sickness last night.

The accommodations make Mountaineers' Meany Hut seem luxurious. We are all in one A-frame hut: the 1st floor is a general dining room, and the bunkroom is 2nd floor. There isn't much room for our bags and pack, and with boots on the floor, the room is an obstacle course at night. The mattresses are OK. The toilets are in a different hut 50-100 feet away. A headlamp is mandatory at night. Flush toilets but no toilet paper. We were told to bring our own. Good thing.


After settling in and wiping off the sweat, we met in the lunchroom for tea and popcorn. A bit later we had dinner: soup (type unknown but good), cabbage, ugala (sort of like mashed potatoes), rice with vegetable or meat sauce, fruit. More about food and food preparation tomorrow.




February 14 - Day 2 on Mountain

Awakened and hot wash water and basins arrived on the back step 5 minutes later. Breakfast at the hut consisted of porridge (again type unknown but good), bread with honey, peanut butter or jelly, egg like omelet with nothing in it, watermelon, hot beverage.


Cooking in the Park is a challenge. There are no facilities, only sheds with bare cement tables. The porters carry in everything, including all the stoves, the gas, the washing equipment, eating dishes, as well as all the food for the entire trek.

On the trail again. The landscape changed from forest to shrub soon after starting. Some of the shrubs are 20 feet high, but they got smaller the higher we went. Same sort of hike. Gained another 3000 feet, so we ended at Horombo Hut, 12000 ft. Cold tonight. Same sort of high calorie, high carb dinner.


They took our pulse and blood oxygen levels tonight. Everyone's resting pulse is high, about 100, and blood oxygen low, anywhere from 84 to 94. They said we all could go on, but some are starting to have some of the symptoms of altitude sickness.

February 15 - Day 3 on Mountain

I won't repeat things every day. Food, accommodations and routine is the same. Kibo Hut has no potable water, so the porters had to carry all water, both for cooking and for drinking. No wash water.  Also, the "toilets" are are just holes in the floor over a 30 foot ledge.


Today we entered the next zone, with very few plants, only low grass and a few flowers. Arrived at Kibo Hut at 15,000ft about 2:30pm. Tea, then a light dinner and to bed by 5pm.


Most of us have some light symptom altitude sickness, such as no appetite or sleeplessness. My intestines rebelled about halfway through the afternoon. Started antibiotic.

The huts are not heated, and the only light is from a very low wattage light bulb powered by solar energy. The huts keep you dry and out of the wind and hold in some of the heat from the other bodies, but it is cold at night. Using the heavy liner in my sleeping bag. OK.


 





February 15 and 16 Day 4 on Mountain – To the Summit
Up and on the trail at 12:20am. Our water bottles were filled with very warm water. Mine was inside a wool sock in my pack. I also have 1-1/2 liters of water in a bladder in my pack, so I can drink while I walk without having to use my bottle. They told us to blow the water back into the bladder after drinking so the tube wouldn't freeze. Finally, the bite valve froze, so I had to switch to the bottle. Drinking constantly is extremely important.


The guide made us start single file, women first. That slows things down so you don't tire as fast. But soon the faster ones started to move ahead, not necessarily a good move. We all walked with headlamps.


Somewhere before 18,000ft, the 62 year old male long distance bicycler from New Jersey decided to crawl under a ledge and go to sleep. He said would nap and we could pick him up on the way down. He was having starbursts in his vision and was out of it. He was helped down.


Soon afterward I was feeling utterly exhausted. Sat for a couple of minutes, drank and nibbled and felt better. As we walked, he guides lead us in call and response. "Oy, oy, oy." Response "Oy." Then "One Seed" --- "Expeditions." Then "No retreat" --- "No surrender." This was repeated many times, and it really helped.


We were all exhausted, but I think all the rest, 10 of us, made it to the first real milestone, Gilman's Point, above 18,000ft. Some others were looking very ragged. I saw a 30 something engaged couple, both very physically fit (probably near the best in the group(, sitting on a rock. He was grey, and she was concerned, but he insisted on going on. Just after that Tony, about 40, a search and rescue specialist from Colorado, and I, started to have a light hacking cough. Stop, catch your breath and go on.


From Gilman's to Stella Point we were continuing up. A 30 something gal of Indian heritage started throwing up. Tony attended to her and realized that she could go on, with lots of encouragement. He held her belt when she bent over to get sick, then got her moving up again. He got her to put one foot in front of the other in a slow cadence.


At Stella you can see the actual summit. I had been taking pictures of snow at the top of the mountain, but it wasn't the summit!

The male of the 30 something couple looked horrible. He couldn't control his feet and he wasn't making sense. His fiancee finally said that he couldn't go on. It took two assistant guides to take him all the way down 3000 feet to Kibo Hut, one on each arm, 50ft at a time. She went with him.

About that time I was following one of the guides and saw that his steps were not in a straight line and were very wobbly. Altitude sickness is unpredictable and can affect anyone, no matter how experienced. He was evacuated down with another guide. Another person, a male of Indian extraction, stayed at Stellar, not going higher. That left 7 of our group on the mountain, including the 25 year old female rep from One Seed.


Dan, a 61 year old retirement investment advisor from NJ, a trail runner, was out of his mind and hallucinating, seeing starbursts. Dan is just generally crazy, and he kept going. He said that every time he put his head down and then up, he got dizzy. He did this while demonstrating, so he got dizzy. He insisted on going on. The main guide was with him and decided that his problem wasn’t life-threatening, so Dan continued.


By this time, many weren't carrying their own packs. I still was. I was generally on my own, but people checked with me to make sure I was all right. We crossed a snowfield horizontally, not serious enough to require crampons.


From there it was just a short pitch to the summit. I was the first, but 4 of us made it within 2 minutes. I had my picture taken with my Lakeside 50th Reunion hat and an Opposition hat.

Dan made it 10 minutes later, and after taking pictures, we forced him to come down with us. Two others were slow but steady and also made it. 7 out 11 made it.

Then we had to turn around and go down. 

Long before I left, I knew that coming down would be hell on my knees, so I had open-patella knee braces in my pack.  Before starting down, I slapped the braces on the outside of my pants. (I was wearing only 2 layers on my legs but 6 layers on top.)  I knew that coming down 4000ft from the summit to Kibo was going to be hard, but it was more than that, it was brutal.  

Things were OK to Gilman's, as there were no steps down. At Gilman's the terrain changed to rocky steps. I have been using hiking sticks all the way up. Now I lengthened them for going down. Every step is difficult. Although I was reasonably fast going up, I am close to the slowest going down. One step at a time, right foot first. I was slow. When I got part way down, a guide met me and gave me some encouragement. 

Near the bottom, the 30th year old couple, the one with him being evacuated, was 1000 feet in front of me.

I couldn't catch them as I got slower with each step. Finally a guide saw my problem and took my pack. It really helped not to be carrying the weight.



I arrived at Kibo, not the last one, but one of the last. Chris was put to bed for a while. The rest of us ate “breakfast,” but it was already after noon. We were supposed to leave for Horombo right after breakfast, but we didn’t leave immediately so Chris could have a longer rest. We finally left about 4:20pm, and it is about 4 hours to Horombo, so we finished the descent under headlamps. I had taken an analgesic at Kibo, so my knees were feeling better. We got to Horombo and dinner. It was great to finish the day. 7,500 feet up and down in 36 hours is brutal.

Took more meds (intestines not completely OK yet) and something for my knees, then off to bed. Still have a light cough, although I am now down at 15000.




February 16 - Day 5 – Coming off the Mountain

Got up reasonably early for breakfast. Warm wash water this morning. Yeah! Some of the altitude sickness sufferers still aren't 100%. My knees, with rest and meds, are better, and my intestines are fine now. All we have talked about since coming down is getting to the Honey Badger and a hot shower. Can't wait.

Before we left Horombo, the guides and porters celebrated our success by dancing and singing.

Today we do the first two days of hiking in the opposite direction. Knee braces still on. I am really slow. The water bars and steps are a pain, literally.  Interesting to see the landscape from the other direction. We were looking down at our feet going up, and frankly we didn't care what it looked like, and it was pitch black coming down last night.  Lunch at Mandara Hut.

I had been offered a ride down to the gate, and I had declined. I reconsidered. The rest of the crew left Mandara and I walked down for an hour to the lunch spot from the first day. Issa, one of the guides walked with me and we had a great chat. I really learned a lot from him about Tanzania.

A bus/van was waiting for us at the lunch spot, and we had a quick ride to the gate. Issa went to organize the porters and equipment as the porters came down, and I waited in the Welcome shed. The group straggled in about 1 to 1-1/2 hours later. My decision to ride was a good one. I would still be on that trail.

We took the van back to the lodge and that heavenly hot shower. Beers and a celebratory dinner followed, complete with the awarding of summiting certificates. 

Off to bed and a new adventure tomorrow, safariing.